The Cauvery Water Regulation Authority has directed Karnataka to ensure a daily release of 3,000 cusecs of water to Tamil Nadu for the next 15 days, reopening a sharp dispute over reservoir levels, irrigation requirements and compliance with earlier directions.
The order will apply from 8 a.m. on Friday and requires Karnataka to release a total of 3.88 thousand million cubic feet (TMC ft) during the period. The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by authority chairman S.K. Haldar and upheld the recommendation of the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee, according to a report by Prajavani.
Tamil Nadu had sought a substantially higher release. It demanded 15.02 TMC ft towards what it described as an earlier deficit and asked that 20.01 TMC ft, equivalent to approximately 15,050 cusecs a day, be ensured at Biligundulu until October 23. The authority did not accept that demand.
Tamil Nadu told the meeting that the Mettur reservoir held 32.01 TMC ft, while inflows stood at 952 cusecs. It said the release of water for irrigation had been delayed by 81 days and that the samba crop was facing difficulties. Tamil Nadu also claimed that Karnataka was required to have released 127.70 TMC ft so far but had released only 46.04 TMC ft.
The state further alleged that Karnataka had not complied with directions issued at the previous meeting. According to the submission reported by Prajavani, Karnataka released 3.898 TMC ft against the earlier requirement of 4.83 TMC ft.
Karnataka officials argued that water availability in the state had deteriorated significantly. They said the state’s four reservoirs had received 117.14 TMC ft since June, representing a 54 per cent shortfall compared with previous years. With the southwest monsoon having ended, the possibility of substantial replenishment was described as very limited.
Karnataka also disputed Tamil Nadu’s assessment of its water needs. Its officials said Tamil Nadu’s three reservoirs held 37.99 TMC ft and that water flowing from the intermediate basin, downstream contributions and groundwater availability could bring the state’s total water resources to 244.99 TMC ft. They also pointed to expectations of normal northeast monsoon rainfall and said Tamil Nadu had sufficient storage for the samba crop.
The authority’s decision therefore sets a lower release than Tamil Nadu requested while imposing a defined obligation on Karnataka for the next 15 days. The order places reservoir levels, seasonal rainfall and irrigation demand at the centre of the immediate water-management dispute.
The next operational milestone is the start of the mandated release at 8 a.m. on Friday and the authority’s requirement that 3.88 TMC ft be delivered over the following 15 days.
